On September 1, the most stringent plank of last summer’s abortion bill is scheduled to take effect, threatening to shut down almost every abortion clinic in Texas—but progressive leaders statewide are fighting to ensure that a pre-Roe Texas doesn’t become a reality.

As the restrictions passed last summer are challenged in court in Austin, Houston elected officials are calling for stronger federal protections of reproductive rights and the repeal of HB 2.

Houston Mayor Annise Parker and Houston City Council recently joined city of Austin leaders to demand a repeal of the abortion restrictions and the passage of the federal Women’s Health Protection Act.

“Houston residents and those who may come to Houston should have access to safe, legal reproductive health care,” the letter, signed by Mayor Parker and other Houston elected leaders, reads.

In the letter, Mayor Parker and the Houston City Council members demand that the state legislature repeal HB 2 and that Congress pass the Women’s Health Protection Act.

The WHPA would prevent state legislatures from enacting abortion-specific restrictions that prevent women from accessing safe abortion procedures.

“Despite the clear constitutional rights established by Roe v. Wade, each year legislatures across the country pass restrictions to limit a woman’s right to make the best health care decisions for herself and her family,” the letter reads. “Because women of reproductive age deserve equal access to comprehensive reproductive health care, we believe federal legislation limiting government interference with the delivery of the full range of reproductive health services is necessary to ensure that women in all states have equal access to these services.”

The Center for Reproductive Rights, one of the organizations that filed a lawsuit against HB 2, praised Houston’s support for women’s health.

“We applaud Mayor Parker and the Houston City Council members for speaking out on behalf of their community, and call on elected officials across the U.S. to match their commitment to women rights, health, and well-being by urging Congress to pass the Women’s Health Protection Act,” said Nancy Northup, President and CEO of the organization.

About Author

Natalie is a native Texan, a feminist, and a writer, focusing on reproductive justice, race, and pop culture. When she's not writing (and sometimes when she is), she's brewing beer, drinking beer, and reading stuff on the Internet. Her work has been featured on The Huffington Post, xoJane, The Billfold, Culturemap, and E3W Review of Books. She tweets from @nsanluis.